Soil dispersing apparatus



Aug. 21, 1951 A. M. WINTERMYER SOIL DISPERSING APPARATUS Filed July 2, 1948 M/Xfure Level [Wen/r Afoey Patented Aug. 21, 1951 son. msrsasmo APPARATUS Adolph M. Wintermyer, Washington, D. (3., assignor to United States of-America as represented by the Administrator Works Agency of the Federal Application July 2, 1948, Serial No. 36,796 2 Claims. (01. 259-95) (Granted under the act of March 3,1883, as

analysis of soils for the purpose of determining their, suitability for use in the construction of highways, bridges, buildings and other structures.

1 The invention has for its object to provide a soil dispersing apparatus in. which air under controlled pressure is employed as a dispersing medium to reduce the abrasion on the soil mineral particles to a minimum and to increase the degree of dispersion.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction of the apparatus and particularly, in the novel construction of the agitating arrangement, all of which will first be fully described and afterwards specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through the soil dispersing apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view through the d apparatus taken on line 3-3 of Fig. l, and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevation of the top portion of the cylindrical container of the apparatus.

Like numerals of reference indicate the same parts throughout the several figures, in which:

I indicates the cylindrical casing of the apparatus to which is connected 2. head 2 having a depending annular flange 3 which fits snugly inside of the casing I and is removably secured thereto by means of pins 4 operating in bayonet joints 5 as shown in Figs. 1 and 4.

Suspended from the head 2 by a plurality of rods 6 is the semi-spherical baffle or spatter plate 'I of a slightly less external diameter than the inside diameter of the cylindrical casing I, so as to provide an annular space 8 between the bafile I and the cylindrical casing, while a handle 9 is provided centrally of the head 2, in which an air vent Ill is provided.

Referring to the bottom of the apparatus, it will be seen that the cylindrical casing I, is externally threaded at II to receive the threaded base I2, which base I2 is itself externally threaded at I3 to receive the threaded bottom cap I4.

This cap I4 is provided near its top edge with amended April 30, 1928; 370 O. vG. 757) an internal annular chamber I5, at which is connected a friction nipple IE to receive a flexible air tube or hose (not shown) leading from a source of controlled air pressure (not shown) as willbe clearly understood from an inspection of Fig. 1 of the drawing.

Threaded at I! into the base I2 at points registering with the annular chamber I5 in the bottom cap I4 are preferably six downwardly inclined airnozzles or tubes. Four of these nozzles or tubes indicated by the numeral I8 are set at considerable angularities with respect to each other, while two of them which are set opposite to each other and indicated by the numeral Ilia are very slightly angular to each other as shown in Fig. 3, while there is set in the center of the curved bottom I9 a substantially cone shaped button 20 of harder material secured therein by a screw 2| so as to permit its removal if it becomes worn in use. The curvature of this button 20 blends with the curvature of the bottom I9 so that there is no break or interruption to the continuity of the entire bottom surface, which, if present would tend to interfere with the smooth and efiicient operation of the apparatus, which will now be described.

In this art, the device as just described is designated as a dispersin cup. Into this is introduced the soil-water-electrolyte mixture, the total volume of which should preferably not exceed 250 ml. of which approximately 20 ml. is of a suitable electrolyte such as sodium metasilicate having a density of 3 (degrees) B. (Baum).

Air is now introduced at suitable pressure into the apparatus and enters it through the friction nipple I6 from whence it circulates around the internal chamber I5 in the base I2 and enters the air nozzles or tubes I8 and I811. The air which passes into the mixture from the nozzles or tubes I8 imparts a swirling motion to the mixture, while the slight angularity at which the two opposed tubes I8a are set causes the two currents set up by the two opposed jets of air to just pass each other and sweep the pointed central portion of the cone 2!! and prevents the accumulation of material at that central point. It will be noted that the air tubes are slanted inwardly of the base with their inner ends in close proximity to the central cone so that the latter is thoroughly washed by strong currents for preventing the undesired central accumulation of material.

According to the nature of the soil, the dispersion may be continued for from 5 to 15 minutes, the dispersion of the smaller sized particles being obtained by the agitation produced by the air 3 passing through the suspension, while at the same time the coarser particles are freed from adhering material and abrasion is held to a minimum.

The air which enters the apparatus and provides the agitation passes out through the vent I in the head 2, while the mixture is confined in the device by the presence of the baflle 1.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Pat ent of the United States is:

1. Soil dispersing apparatus which includes a cylindrical casing, a vented head,- means for removably attaching the head to the casing, a baflle suspended within the casing from the head, a base having a curved bottom secured to the casing, a bottom cap secured to the base and provided with an internal annular chamber adapted to receive air from a source of supply, a plurality of air nozzles in the base and com municating with the internal annular chamber in the bottom cap, a substantially conical shaped button removably secured in the base and conforming to the curvature of the bottom thereof, said air nozzles being downwardly inclined, certain of which are set at substantial angles to one another so that the air therefromwill impart a swirling motion to the contents within the apparatus and certain of which are set opposed to and at slight angles to each other to sweep the pointed central portion of the substantially conical button and prevent the accumulation of material thereat.

2. Soil dispersing apparatus which includes a cylindrical container having a base and a vented top, a baffle within the container adjacent the vented top, a curved bottom in the base, a bot- Number tom cap secured to the base and provided with an internal annular chamber adapted to receive air from a source of supply, a plurality of air nozzles in the base and communicating with the internal annular chamber in the bottom cap, the central surface of the curved bottom being substantially cone shaped, said' air nozzles being downwardly inclined, certain of which are set at substantial angles to one another so that the air therefrom will impart a swirling motion to the contents within the apparatus and certain of which are set opposed to and at slight angles to each other to sweep the central conical surface of the bottom and prevent the accumulation of material thereat.

ADOLPH M. WINTERMYER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 7 Brown June 6, 1905 Winslow et a1 Mar. 31, 1931 Muller et a1 Jan. 26, 1932 Cowles Sept. 29, 1936 Sampel Apr. 6, 1987 Sisson June 28, 1938 Goebels r Aug. 9-, 1938 Beede June 20, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date v Australia s June 9,4941

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